This invention relates to the identification of tools, e.g. measurement tools used for inspection of work pieces on a co-ordinate positioning machine. Such co-ordinate positioning machines include co-ordinate measurement machines (CMM's), machine tools and robots.
Measurement tools, e.g. probes that respond to surface contact, surface finish probes, proximity probes, crack detection probes, laser and other optical measuring probes, video cameras etc, all have individual requirements for the conditioning of their respective signals. Where a machine uses more than one tool, e.g. each tool being connectable to a universal mounting then it is desirable to have a means for identification of the tool that is mounted to the machine so that its signal can be conditioned correctly. Contact probes sometimes use extension bars and these too require identification.